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Overview

Brooking: Korea experience 'vital'

(FIFA.com) Tuesday 4 September 2007

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Sitting back in an armchair, his hands crossed and resting on
his stomach, Sir Trevor Brooking might justifiably be considered a
fairly relaxed individual. Ask him a few questions, however, and
his passion for the game, and particularly English football shines
through. And why not? As a talented midfielder, he made 47
appearances for the Three Lions, scoring five goals in the process.
His entire career was also spent at just one club, his beloved West
Ham United, where he spent 19 years.

Now the FA's Director for Development, it is the
57-year-old's remit to lead a programme of skills development
which makes English clubs look locally first when searching for
talented and technically accomplished players. Brooking was an
interested spectator at several England matches during the FIFA
U-17 World Cup, as products of the nation's academy system were
on display against the world's top teams. His verdict proved
interesting and enlightening.

FIFA.com: Sir Trevor, how do you assess the importance of
competitions such as the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the development of
young footballers?
Sir Trevor Brooking: It's vital. The experience
of playing in different climatic conditions, against new opposition
and getting to grips with travelling and other cultures is great
for boys at this age. For the coaches too, it's interesting to
see who reacts well to being away from home, who the characters in
the squad are, who is a team player, etc, etc. In many ways, the
backroom staff learn just as much as the players themselves. That
can only be a good thing.

What do you think the players have learned in Korea?
When you're up against different styles and
teams who play at different tempos, especially in the humidity of
countries such as this, you learn that keeping the ball is crucial.
They've also gained a lot of experience, coping with triumph
and disaster. This has been a great opportunity for the lads to do
something they don't do regularly and that's why it's
so important for their development. We're all hoping that a few
will come through to the senior side eventually.

Which of the England U-17 squad do you feel has a chance?
I wouldn't rule any of them out if keep working
hard and keep making progress. I like Victor Moses, he's a
typical No10. Sometimes he's not the most consistent player,
but he is skilful. The centre halves: Jordan Spence and Krystian
Pearce aren't bad too. Then we have Michael Woods who has
played for Chelsea and Henri Lansbury who is at Arsenal - they both
have a lot of potential. Another midfielder, Danny Rose, who missed
the tournament due to a stress fracture of the shin, is someone who
I consider to be a fine talent. He played very well in the European
Championships and has just joined Spurs. He is definitely one to
watch.

What can you tell them about playing for England and
playing in a FIFA World Cup™?
Playing for England was something that I had always
dreamed about. I made my debut against Portugal in Lisbon in April
1974 and a month later, I stepped out at Wembley for a game against
Argentina. That was amazing - and even though the stadium has
changed now, I hope some of the lads involved in this tournament
experience it too. I felt so much pride, not only because of the
reactions of my family and friends, but because I was representing
my country. The World Cup in Spain was a little bit bittersweet for
me. Kevin Keegan and I were injured when we went out there, so we
only played in the last game. England didn't lose in that
tournament, but we still went home after the second group stage.
That was obviously very disappointing.

Turning to your current role, what challenges are you
facing regarding of the development of young players in England?
Well, we're going to have to change the way we
nurture English talent, because they are not coming through in the
numbers that they should be. Obviously the Premier League is very
successful, but the big clubs are looking to sign the best
15-year-olds from all over Europe and Africa and that is filling up
our academies. This obviously hinders the development of English
players. In a few years time, we might be struggling to qualify for
a tournament such as this, so that's a major concern at
present.

But with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Aaron Lennon and Micah
Richards all doing well for England, doesn't the future look
bright?It could also be an indication that we haven't got the
strength in depth as we once had. If you look at our squad for
Germany 2006, it was one of the youngest in the tournament, whereas
Italy's was around 27 or 28, with players possessing more
international experience. Although the players mentioned have
deserved to play for England, they've definitely been
fast-tracked, which is something that never used to happen. That is
a little bit concerning from a development point of view.

And finally, what have you made of the tournament so far?
Well, the form book has really gone out of the
window, hasn't it! We've seen Tunisia topping a group,
winning all of their three games, Tajikistan have beaten the USA,
Ghana shocked Brazil - it's a very open competition and I
wouldn't like to predict who is going to win it. The weather
has played a bit of a part, but it's a tournament where the
Asian and African teams have played strongly. They seem to possess
a lot of talent, which I am sure will provide a strong challenge to
the European teams in the coming years.